OVERVIEW:Prisons have failed to meet almost all objectives of the criminal justice system. Their role as a correctional service has adversely affected the lives of prisoners, their families and the wider community. In NSW, although there was a reported decrease in crime rates, a 7% increase in prison population was noted; highlighting the failure of imprisonment as an effective mechanism of social control.

Additionally, contrary to the NSW Department's goal of reducing adult rates of reoffending by 5% by 2019, the rate of adult re-offending has worsened. The NSW Auditor-General's Report 'Law and Order' (Volume Seven Part One 2015, p. 7) found a 35.9% rate of recidivism within one year of release in 31 December 2013. This rate of re-offending notably increased to 45.8% by 30 June 2014, within two years of release. These rates demonstrate an upward trend in adult re-offending - a clear indication that the prison system is not working.

Clearly, there is a strain on prison infrastructure and services that has resulted in deteriorating prisoner health conditions and rising incidents of self-harm. As the inmate - parole officer ratio is increasing, the attempt to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society has been more difficult. Unfortunately, overcrowding of prisons means a reduced access to adequate support, education and opportunities. The NSW prison system houses an average of three inmates per cell and has over fifty inmates sharing a phone (See:Inspector of Custodial Services Report- Full House 2015).

According to Auditor-General Tony Whitfield, overcrowding has undermined confidence in the justice system and the effectiveness of prisons. His report ‘Performance Frameworks in Custodial Centre Operations' (2016) outlines the ineffectiveness of CSNSWs performance framework, specifying the lack of communication of organisational key performance indicators (KPIs) cascaded to public correctional centres. As a result CSNSW could not assess their performance('Performance Frameworks in Custodial Centre Operations' Media Release, 3 March 2016).In response, a reform project is being introduced that requires public prisons to take accountability like private prisons through meeting and reporting their performance. The project is designed so that rates of recidivism are reduced, community protection is increased, and prison standards are lifted.

Currently, the average Australian prisoner costs $100 000 per year, a figure which is expected to rise. $60 million is also spent on keeping prisoners on remand ("Court backlog costing $60m as jails overflow", SMH, 24 November, 2015). In 2014-15, $3.4 billion was invested into prison systems. Justice Action suggests that these funds could be used more effectively in the establishment of post-release programs, public housing and rehabilitation services for prisoners. The government must seek alternatives to imprisonment that will reduce the strain on economic and social resources, as the high cost of imprisonment cannot be sustained.

Vivienne Stern (1998) Imprisonment in the World: a Sin Against the Future Written by Tim Anderson for Stop the Womens Jail Anti-Prisons Resource Kit Published June 2001 by Justice Action Ph: (02) 9281 5100